(A)An excellent wife is (B)the crown of her husband,
    but she who (C)brings shame is like (D)rottenness in his bones.

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A wife of noble character(A) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(B)

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30 A tranquil[a] heart gives (A)life to the flesh,
    but (B)envy[b] makes (C)the bones rot.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:30 Or healing
  2. Proverbs 14:30 Or jealousy

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.(A)

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For a man ought not to cover his head, since (A)he is the image and glory of God, but (B)woman is the glory of man.

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A man ought not to cover his head,[a] since he is the image(A) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:7 Or Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. A man ought not to have long hair

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [a] (A)An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than (B)jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She (C)seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
15 She (D)rises while it is yet night
    and (E)provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She (F)dresses herself[b] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She (G)opens her hand to (H)the poor
    and reaches out her hands to (I)the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in (J)scarlet.[c]
22 She makes (K)bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is (L)fine linen and (M)purple.
23 Her husband is known in (N)the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (O)linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 (P)Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Proverbs 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins
  3. Proverbs 31:21 Or in double thickness

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 [a]A wife of noble character(A) who can find?(B)
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband(C) has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.(D)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.(E)
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.(F)
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders(G) of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

13 (A)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and (B)a wife's quarreling is (C)a continual dripping of rain.
14 (D)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is (E)from the Lord.

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13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(A)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(B)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(C)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(D)

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15 (A)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp[a] oil in one's right hand.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with

15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(A)
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

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19 It is (A)better to live in a desert land
    than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

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19 Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(A)

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It is (A)better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

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Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)

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14 (A)The wisest of women (B)builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands (C)tears it down.

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14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

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11 Nevertheless, (A)in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman;

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11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

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16 (A)I hear, and (B)my body trembles;
    my lips quiver at the sound;
(C)rottenness enters into my bones;
    my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet (D)I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
    to come upon people who invade us.

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16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.(A)
Yet I will wait patiently(B) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.

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